Masaaki Kitajima, Associate Professor, Graduate School of Engineering, Hokkaido University, Michio Murakami, Professor, Center for Comprehensive Education and Research for Infectious Diseases, Osaka University, Hiroyuki Katayama, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Kiyoya Imoto, Professor, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Tokyo , Shiono Yoshi Pharmaceutical's research group investigated the sewage of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics athletes' village, and found that RNA (ribonucleic acid) of the new corona was detected even in areas where there were no positives for the new corona virus. ..
According to Hokkaido University, the research group will collect samples from the sewage of the athletes' village from July 2021th to September 7th, 14, and will use the high-sensitivity detection technology developed by Hokkaido University and Shionogi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. to create a new model. The RNA of coronavirus was examined.
As a result, RNA of the new coronavirus was detected in 690 samples, which is 33.8% of the 233 samples that could be analyzed.Many were detected in areas where no positives were reported, and mutant strains were found by genome analysis.The research group suspects that it may have been excreted by asymptomatic infected persons or those who have been infected for a long time.
The research group believes that sewage epidemiological surveys can be used to strengthen the inspection system for large-scale events such as the next Paris Olympics, where many people gather, and to supplement immigration inspections at airports.
Paper information:[Journal of Travel Medicine] COVID-19 wastewater surveillance implemented in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Parallelympic Village
